The return of “Mannheim Steamroller Christmas” and premieres of the film-to-concert “Dirty Dancing in Concert” and nostalgic “Tina – The Tina Turner Musical” headline the Clark State 2024-25 theatre season in the Kuss Auditorium at the Performing Arts Center, 300 S. Fountain Ave. in Springfield.
With tickets on sale today (August 12), the eight-show lineup features hit shows, comedians and musicians to offer something for all audience members.
Vienna Teng, pianist and singer-songwriter, kicks the season off at 7:30 p.m. on Sept. 19. In 2002, Vienna released her debut album “Waking Hour,” landing her on NPR’s “Weekend Edition”, “The Late Show with David Letterman” and the top of Amazon’s music charts. Four more albums followed, most recently “Aims” in 2013, as well as the music for “The Fourth Messenger” by playwright Tanya Shaffer.
On Sept. 21 at 8 p.m., the Clark State Performing Arts Center will present “Tina—The Tina Turner Musical". An uplifting comeback story like no other, “Tina–The Tina Turner Musical” is the inspiring journey of a woman who broke barriers and became the Queen of Rock n’ Roll. One of the world’s best-selling artists of all time, Tina Turner won 12 Grammy Awards and her live shows were seen by millions, with more concert tickets sold than any other solo performer in music history. Set to the pulse-pounding soundtrack of her most beloved hits, the musical is written by Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Katori Hall.
Comedian Reggie Conquest will then take then take the stage at 7:30 p.m. on Oct. 17. An actor and writer based in New York City, Conquest has been featured on TruTVs “Laff Mobb’s Laff Tracks” and Comedy Central. His acting credits include the role of ‘TSA Bae’ in season 4 of HBO’s hit series “Insecure;” ‘Devin’ in ABC’s “Abbott Elementary;” Deputy Farney in Paramount’s “Scream 5” alongside Jenna Ortega, Melissa Barrera, Neve Campbell, Courtney Cox and David Arquette; and voicing the role of ‘Doug’ in Dreamworks “The Gillmans.” As a writer, Reggie worked with TruTV’s “Impractical Jokers,” as well as writing and acting in the role of Kevin on “That Damn Michael Che” on Max.
At 7:30 p.m. on Dec. 12, Clark State will welcome back Mannheim Steamroller by Grammy award winner Chip Davis, the longest-running concert tour in the entertainment industry. The program includes 15 musicians playing more than 20 instruments against a backdrop of multimedia effects to capture the spirit of the season.
Molly Kearney, Cleveland-native and Saturday Night Live alum, comes to Clark State at 7:30 p.m. on Jan. 9. After earning a bachelor’s in theatre from the University of Dayton, Kearney got started in stand-up comedy on Put-In-Bay island and was later selected for Comedy Central’s “Up Next” and performed at the 2019 Clusterfest in San Francisco. Kearney's screen credits include the Amazon series “A League of Their Own” and the Disney series “The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers.”
At 8 p.m. on March 14, “Dirty Dancing in Concert” brings the classic film’s first live film-to-concert experience to the stage. With a soundtrack that marked a generation, patrons will enjoy the digitally remastered hit film like never before on a full-size cinema screen, with a live band and singers performing the film’s iconic songs. Directly following the film, the band and singers will throw an encore party as audiences sing and dance along to their favorite “Dirty Dancing” songs.
Join Red, Gobo, Mokey, Wembley, Boober and all your favorite friends from the iconic series “Jim Henson’s Fraggle Rock,” on a new exciting, interactive, live musical adventure! Gobo Fraggle discovers a legend about a lost Fraggle treasure, the Song Stone, that can provide a special treasure- the greatest song ever heard in Fraggle history! But the location of the Stone has been lost and forgotten, so the Fraggle Five decide to set out to find it! Featuring gorgeous new walk around versions of the Fraggles; puppet-sized, mechanized Doozers; giant, inflatable Gorg puppets; original songs and exclusive new magical puppet creatures, fans of all ages will enjoy this all-new musical stage adventure at 3 p.m. on March 23.
Closing out the 2024-25 season is Gina Chavez, a Latin Grammy nominee, internationally acclaimed recording artist, wife and philanthropist. A 13-time Austin Music Award winner and proud vice president of the Texas chapter of the Recording Academy, Born in Austin, Chavez’s first all-Spanish language album, “La Que Manda,” was nominated for a 2020 Latin Grammy in Best Pop/Rock. With a NPR Tiny Desk concert garnering more than 1.3 million views, Chavez is featured on Brene Brown’s hit podcast, “Unlocking Us”, for which they co-wrote the theme music.
Tickets to all shows can be purchased at pac.clarkstate.edu or by calling the Ticket Office at 937-328-3874.
During the season, Clark State will also bring back Club Kuss to highlight an eclectic mix of up-and-coming artists. Club Kuss offers a one-of-a-kind show experience with a small audience seated close to the stage, as well as complimentary desserts. All Club Kuss tickets are $20 for general public and $10 for students with a college ID. Shows included are Vienna Teng, Reggie Conquest, Molly Kearney and Gina Chavez.